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Velociraptor
General Description The most amazing find in Mongolia may be the discovery of the skeletons of the small theropod Velociraptor ("speedy predator") with its right arm clamped firmly in the beak of the small ceratopsian Protoceratops. Both skeletons are complete. They are a picture of a Late Cretaceous struggle to the death. Soon after their deaths, they were buried by the drifting sands of a dune. They laid together in this death pose until 1971, when they were unearthed. In 1923, the first specimen of Velociraptor was found by the American Museum of Natural History. Like the famous death-pose specimen, it was found in the Late Cretaceous sandstones of the Djadokhta Formation in the Gobi Deser. And, like the death-pose specimen, it was found lying alongside a skull of Protoceratops. Velociraptor was a small theropod, with a large sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of its foot. It had a low, narrow snout, which is different from other members of its family. The jaws were lined with serrated teeth for tearing flesh. It swallowed its food in gulps instead of chewing, like most theropods. The arms were long and it had strong chest and arm muscles. It looked much like the early bird Archaeopteryx. Some paleontologists have suggested that Velociraptor might have had feathers, but there is no proof for this theory. Since the death-pose specimen was found with a Protoceratops, it probably ate this small ceratopsian, but it may have hunted even larger prey. Its diet also included small animals, such as lizards. Another dromaeosaurid feature that can be clearly seen in the death-pose are the long pieces of bone along the sides of the bones of the tail to stiffen it. This allowed the tail to act as a balance when the animal walked and ran. The tail, however, was still flexible, expecially where it was attached to the hips. The complete "Struggle to the death" skeleton has not yet been described, but it will certainly reveal even more new and exciting facts about this fascinating genus. Velociraptor was a small, dog-sized dinosaur that flourished in the mid-Cretaceous period. This dinosaur has become one of the most famous, due to its prominent role in the Jurassic Park movies. General Description The most amazing find in Mongolia may be the discovery of the skeletons of the small theropod Velociraptor ("speedy predator") with its right arm clamped firmly in the beak of the small ceratopsian Protoceratops. Both skeletons are complete. They are a picture of a Late Cretaceous struggle to the death. Soon after their deaths, they were buried by the drifting sands of a dune. They laid together in this death pose until 1971, when they were unearthed. In 1923, the first specimen of Velociraptor was found by the American Museum of Natural History. Like the famous death-pose specimen, it was found in the Late Cretaceous sandstones of the Djadokhta Formation in the Gobi Deser. And, like the death-pose specimen, it was found lying alongside a skull of Protoceratops. Velociraptor was a small theropod, with a large sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of its foot. It had a low, narrow snout, which is different from other members of its family. The jaws were lined with serrated teeth for tearing flesh. It swallowed its food in gulps instead of chewing, like most theropods. The arms were long and it had strong chest and arm muscles. It looked much like the early bird Archaeopteryx. Some paleontologists have suggested that Velociraptor might have had feathers, but there is no proof for this theory. Since the death-pose specimen was found with a Protoceratops, it probably ate this small ceratopsian, but it may have hunted even larger prey. Its diet also included small animals, such as lizards. Another dromaeosaurid feature that can be clearly seen in the death-pose are the long pieces of bone along the sides of the bones of the tail to stiffen it. This allowed the tail to act as a balance when the animal walked and ran. The tail, however, was still flexible, expecially where it was attached to the hips. The complete "Struggle to the death" skeleton has not yet been described, but it will certainly reveal even more new and exciting facts about this fascinating genus. Predatory Behaviour As shown in the Jurassic Park films, Velociraptor is depicted as a Pack Hunter, which has only been seen in certain birds and advanced Mammals. Intelligence of this creature is unknown, but it is likely it hunted in Packs. It may have hunted in mated pairs or family groups, sometimes grouping together to kill larger dinosaurs, such as young Therizinosaurus or Injured Adults of Various Species. The Slashing Claw on the feet, specifically the 2nd Toe, was seemingly used to disembowl prey. However, proven by the 2005 British Documentary, The truth about Killer Dinosaurs, it was used as a more lethal, and less messy job: To pierce the windpipe and restrict breathing until the victim perished.